PAL: Lewiston Housing Authority: Multilingual Leadership Corps AmeriCorps Member

Lewiston Housing Authority’s Hillview site is a community center in a public housing development that hosts robust program activities for interested youth and families. The site is very multi-cultural; many residents are immigrants from African countries. Virtually all families that live at the site live below the poverty line. The Aspirations youth programs are created for out of school periods. There are various activities that are under the umbrella of Aspirations. These include, but are not limited to, science, crafts, art, education, reading, cooking, teen group sessions, field trips, sewing and more. The AmeriCorps member fosters trusting relationships with the youth while having fun and serving as a role model and mentor along with the many other student volunteers that participate. The program goals include: fostering multiculturalism and promoting respect, improving youths' academic performance, community engagement, and encouraging youth to understand the connections between home, school and community. The programs and the AmeriCorps member's presence are intended to create this learning and enrichment environment which youth would not otherwise have.

Members will implement the Social Emotional Learning practices mentoring program, an intervention for academically disengaged students. In addition, AmeriCorps members will leverage volunteers to engage in mentoring and in-school/afterschool service-learning, academic support, parental engagement, and enrichment interventions. The AmeriCorps member at Hillview will be part of a team of leaders and mentors that fosters an atmosphere that is a hub of activity for youth. The AmeriCorps member will recruit many local Bates College students and other volunteers to assist him/her in carrying out all program activities. The member will be a liaison with other pre-established programs such as scouting, 4-H etc. The member will help to develop funding streams and grants to support the program components. He/she will be challenged, yet all the while having fun and at the same time as establishing a meaningful relationship with the youth.

The Multilingual Leadership Corps AmeriCorps Program places AmeriCorps members in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont schools and nonprofit organizations serving K-12 English Language Learners. This program increases academic engagement among English Language Learners through implementing Social Emotional Learning practices. Members implement the SEL model supporting students through weekly meetings with 15-25 students. Members will 1) prioritize youth engagement, 2) facilitate peer to peer engagement, 3) coach youth through goal setting, and 4) encourage staff engagement. Member support is provided through mentoring, academic support, service learning, additional interventions, and/or planning for or recruiting volunteers to support these activities. In addition, AmeriCorps members leverage volunteers to engage in mentoring and in-school/after-school School Skills Support, Aspirations support, Enrichment, and Community Engagement programs. 

AmeriCorps members receive a living allowance of $14,279 evenly divided over the course of an 11-month term. Upon completion of their term, members receive a $6,195 Education Award, which can be put toward student loan payments or future education costs at a Title IV institution. AmeriCorps member are also eligible for federal student loan forbearance and interest repayment.